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Found dead

Last year, about April time, I was walking along the Ridgeway in Berkshire when my labrador ran into a small wood next to the path. She normally comes out stalking with me, so I followed after her and about 20 metres into the wood I found her sniffing a dead six-point roe buck. Although it was reasonably fresh, there were no obvious signs as to how it had died - gunshot, wire, RTA, etc.

I was back in the same area yesterday and I walked through the wood to get a better look at a group of fallow bedded down just below the nearby ridge.

As I walked back, I revisited the spot where we had found the buck and there was little left other than the skull and bones. I picked up the skull and here are some photos of it:

It was in velvet when I originally found it last year, but by now most of the velvet has been removed. What surprised me was that there were no signs of the antlers being gnawed by mice, squirrels, deer, etc. Normally when I've found cast antlers they've been well chewed! In this case, however, the points and pearling are still sharp.

Now I've got it home I'll likely cut the skull and keep it in the garage. I might even take it along to the game fair to get it measured, though I think it will only make bronze at best.

I was surprised too that it was still there. I figured it would be long gone.

It was not on AH's ground at all. I found it when I was going for a walk near the White Horse above Uffington. There are a good few roe around there, as well as fallow and muntjac. Just wish I had the stalking

It would be a good one to measure yourself then get it done at a show by CIC or BASC just to see how the scores compared. If you haven't got the formulas, I think I have them as a scanned electronic copy somewhere. JC